The 19-year-old son of one of the sport's greatest champions, took part in his first professional race on Wednesday, riding Pivotal Rock in the 2.55 at Killarney. A flurry of bets fuelled by sentiment saw his odds tumble from 10-1 to 6-1 in the space of two hours.

Sadly, there was no fairytale ending: Jamie finished eighth out of 13 riders in the Grand Live Music Venue Handicap flat race.

By Jamie's age he had already secured the first of his nine Epsom Derby victories, having won his first race at just 12.

But his son remains upbeat.

"It was good, I really enjoyed it. I'm planning to make a career of it," he said.

When Jamie was born - the result of an affair between his father and his personal assistant, Anna Ludlow – his dad was forced to split his time between the homes of his mistress and his wife Susan, a few miles apart in Newmarket.